Geography of South America
The Inca lived in the Andes Mountains, which stretch 4,500 miles, down the west coast of South
America; modern day Peru. These mountains re one of the longest and highest ranges in the world. Flat
areas of land are very hard to find. Some Incan settlements in the Andes Mountains were located 11,000
feet above sea level. On one side of the Andes Mountains is the Amazon jungle, and on the other is
coastal desert.
Terrace Farming
The Inca made the Andes Mountains their home. Flat areas of land for farming are almost impossible to
find. To overcome this environmental obstacle, the Inca dug terraces on mountain side to grow their
crops. This practice is called terrace farming. At its height, 2,471,053 acres of farmland covered the
Incan Empire (this includes both terrace and flat farms). The stones used to support the terrace farming
would gather head from the sun throughout the day, and distribute the heat to keep the plants alive
through the cold, mountain nights. The terraces catch water, and stop it from flowing down the
mountain side. This also stops soil from eroding and sliding down the mountains.
Domesticating the llama and potato
The Inca did not ever develop the wheel, so to carry good across the roads and bridges in the
mountains, the needed animals. One animal native to Peru, which can live at high altitudes and
maneuver the mountain peaks, is the llama. Llama were first domesticated by Inca near Lake Titicaca
around 4,000 BCE. Besides providing a means of transportation, llama also produced wool, meat, and
fertilizer for the Inca. Later in history, male llamas were used as sacrifices in religious ceremonies, and
females were used for breeding. The wool was used to make warm clothing for the Inca, in an area
where plants which produced cloth would not grow.
The Inca also domesticated a very important crop; the potato. The Incan Empire had a
population of 15 million people who needed food. The environment made crop production difficult,
however the potato proved to be a life saver. The crop could grow at high elevations, and could support
the vast Incan population. The Inca grew more than 200 different kinds of potatoes, and developed the
method of freeze-drying potatoes for storage. The potato did not become part of the European died
until after the Spanish had contact with the Incan Empire. The Potato was an extremely important crop
for the survival of the Inca.
Llama statue made of gold
Incan Roads and Bridges
In order for the Inca to successfully govern their large empire, they needed a way to quickly
travel through the terrain. They did this by constructing bridges and system of roads. The roads allowed
them to transport goods, communicate, and defend the empire, and divided the empire in to four
different divisions for administration. The bridges were used to allow the Incas to traverse the gorges
between mountains. They were made of wood and rope, and could be burned in the event the Empire
was attacked, making it impossible for enemies to reach the mountain villages. At their height, the road
system ran for 25,00 miles and took 125 years to construct (The Romans built over 50,000 miles of road,
but it took them 600 years to complete). Four main roads connected the entire Empire to Cuzco, the
capital. Because the Inca did invent a wheel, roads were meant for foot traffic only, including people and
llamas. Many of the roads were paved with cobble stones, but others were simply dirt pathways,
between 3.5-15 feet wide.
Taxes and Number Systems
The Inca had a very intricate system of taxing. One way in which the Inca taxed their people was
through an agricultural tax. Each province owed a certain amount of crops to the government per year.
Another way the Inca taxed their citizen was through the mita system. The mita system required adult
men to work for the state for a certain number of days per year. Each person was assigned a specific job
according to his skills. (A weaver may be assigned to make cloth, a fast runner may be used on the roads
to deliver messages). The army was made up of men serving their mita as well. A person’s mita time
varied depending on what task they were assigned, but was typically no longer than 2-3 months per
year. In return for their mita time, the government would hold festivals, and give gifts to those who
performed their job well.
In order to keep track of trade, census information, and how much agriculture each province
owed in taxes; the Inca developed a tool for mathematical calculations. The Inca did not have a written
language, so the quipu was a tool that could be used for record keeping. The tool is a long string held
horizontally, with shorter strings tied vertically to it. The vertical strings were many different colors,
each representing a different category to keep track of. The vertical strings had knots died into them,
each know represented a number, 0-9. The Inca, like the Indian civilizations, incorporated the number 0
in their mathematical understandings. A skilled scholar could look at these knotted strings, and
understand what numbers were represented. The quipu was used to keep track of births, deaths, corn
stored in a storehouse, gold produced in a province, mita a community owed, etc.
Religion
The Inca were polytheistic, and used their religion to reinforce the power of the state. The
religion was based on the worship of the gods of nature. The most important of the Incan gods were
Inti, the sun god; Viracocha, the creator; Illapa, the god of thunder; Pachamama, the earth goddess,
Mamacocha, the sea goddess, and Mamaquilla, the moon goddess. Gods and goddesses were
worshiped in elaborate ceremonies and in elaborate temples. Pachacuti reorganized religion, claiming
the emperor was a descendent of Inti, the sun god.
Temples were built for the practice of religion across the Incan Empire. There was a temple built
to honor Inti in the capital of Cuzco. Many historians believe that Machu Picchu was built as a religious
city, although the true purpose for the monuments still remain a mystery. The Inca would offer sacrifices
to the gods and goddess in order to stay in their favor, and continue to be blessed with healthy crops
and good weather. Sacrifices were typically either precious objects, or llamas. Children were sacrificed
on rare occasions, like after a natural disaster, war, or during the crowning of a new emperor.
The Inca considered the bodies of the dead to be sacred. The Incas mummified their dead and
brought them out for display during ceremonies and gave them food and drink. Children who were
sacrificed were typically mummified as well. The Incas believed these children would serve as guardians
over their villages, and therefore were sacrificed at the top of Mt. Llullaillaco, a volcano at an elevation
of 22,000 feet.
Name:___________________________________________
Block:____________
How did the Inca Survive?
Directions: On a separate sheet of paper answer each of the questions for the gallery walk.
Geography of South America
1. Discuss the geography of Peru.
2. Why would the mountains make life
difficult for a civilization to thrive in
Peru?
3. What innovations would the Inca need
to make in order to form an Empire in
Peru?
Terrace Farming
1. Explain terrace farming.
2. Why did the Inca utilize terrace farming,
and why did it allow them to be so
successful?
3. Did you hypothesize terrace farming in
Gallery 1?
Domestication of the llama and potato
1. Why was the potato such an important
crop to the Incas?
2. Why was the llama such an important
animal to the Incas?
3. Why do you think the Inca never used
the wheel to help their transportation?
4. Did you hypothesize specialized crop
and animal domestication in Gallery 1?
Roads
1. What other civilizations built roads?
2. Why were roads so important for Incan
success?
3. How did the Incas use these roads to
protect their empire?
4. Did you hypothesize a need for a road
system in Gallery 1?
Taxation
1. Explain the taxation system of the Inca.
2. How did the mita system lead to Incan
success?
3. What other civilization developed a
concept of 0?
4. How did the quipu add to the success of
the Incan empire?
5. Why did the Incas need the quipu to
organize their records?
6. Did you hypothesize a strong taxation
system in Gallery 1?
Religion
1. What kind of religion did the Incas
practice?
2. Why did the Inca practice sacrifice?
3. Why did the Inca mummify their dead?
4. How did religion strengthen the Incan
government?
5. Did you hypothesize a strong religion in
Gallery 1?